DUNDEE KZN: Two-stepping a dance of death

Aldicarb, a highly poisonous substance, is freely available on the streets of Dundee as an effective way of ‘seeing off’ rats.

Known colloquially as Two-Step (from the notion that you die after taking just two steps after consuming just a tiny grain of the poison), it is sold for around R30-40 in small bags and takes one-10th of a teaspoon to kill a man of 80kg within 20 minutes.

In the past, this deadly substance has been used to poison dogs in the area, prior to breaking into a home. Grains of Aldicarb are sprinkled into a piece of meat or polony, and tossed over the fence as bait. The dog dies soon after eating the contaminated morsel.

According to poison expert Gerhard Verdoorn, speaking to the Roodepoort Record, about 100 people die of poisoning related to Two Step annually – either intentionally or by mishap.

“It is very dangerous to people. It is sold on street corners to kill rodents, but if you go deep undercover, you realise they sell it for suicides and homicides as well,” he said.

Two Step is a pesticide that is banned for both use and possession in South Africa. Despite this, it is still readily and openly available as a rat poison. According to Bayer, the company that produces Temik (that contains Aldicarb), the only legal way to obtain the poison – which is used as an agricultural insecticide – is if you are a qualified pesticide operator or have a qualified operator present.

However, this has not stopped the poison being widely available. In some areas, the granules are spread around a homestead in a bid to ward off rats.

Police confirmed that there have been incidents where the poison has come into contact with flour and / or maize stored in the kitchen and used to make foodstuffs which are then consumed – leading to poisonings and in some cases, death.

The poison attacks the nervous system and inhibits breathing. Doctors say the main cause of fatality is usually asphyxiation, as the lungs are flooded with secretion from the stomach.

Aldicarb is characterised by tiny black granules that resemble poppy seeds. If you find any substance that resembles this on your property, it is advised that you remove it immediately.

Ensure that your hands and arms are protected by wearing gloves while handling the substance.

Anyone with information regarding the selling of Two Step should contact the SAPS.

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